Vibranium Is Not the Strongest Metal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Wakanda is desired for its rich wealth of Vibranium, but you might be surprised to find out that it isn’t necessarily the strongest metal around.

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are already well acquainted with the rare metal thanks to Howard Stark using it to form Captain America’s iconic shield. According to production designer Hannah Beachler, though, it is just one of several metals fighting for the rank of strongest.

“The big thing about Wakanda is its Vibranium, which is one of the strongest metals, not the strongest but one of the strongest and most expensive metals,” Beachler said during a set visit last year. “T’Challa is the wealthiest man — more so than even Batman — and a lot of it is because of their Vibranium and their knowledge in being able to handle Vibranium and turning it into this.”

That last part is also important because Vibranium doesn’t just come in its strongest form out of the mines. It takes a skilled hand to be able to form, shape, and implement the powerful metal into their weapons and suits, and those with those skills can be as rare to find as the metal itself.

“We do have over here our Wakandan Design group, which over time evolved into where all the tech is being created,” Beachler said. “We’ve got our Vibranium mine, which is [where] we’ve come up with this little blue glowing rock. We went around a lot about what is Vibranium, because we see it in Cap’s shield, and it’s very much a metal, so we have different stages of Vibranium. We’re going to see it a lot in its raw form and not the alloyed form which is the stainless look.”

While it might not be the strongest metal, it is one of the strongest, and is understandably coveted by many. The good news is that the nation of Wakanda isn’t just going to let anyone walk in and take it, though many have tried.

In the comics, the metal has been used in things like Avengers Tower, Misty Knight’s bionic arm, Warpath’s daggers, Hawkeye’s arrows, and more, and don’t expect the metal’s popularity to change anytime soon.

Black Panther currently enjoys a 4.17 out of 5 on ComicBook.com’s anticipation rankings, which places it in the #2 spot. You can submit your score for the upcoming film here.

Black Panther lands in theaters on February 16th.